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New Method Discovered to Isolate Flavanols in Cocoa

Opens the Door to Future Investigations of Individual Cocoa Compounds

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ (March 28, 2006) – As research continues to support a link between the consumption of cocoa flavanols and cardiovascular health, a recent scientific advancement will make it easier to investigate the individual compounds in cocoa thought to be responsible for the benefit. In addition, this work will likely impact the way scientists explore the health-promoting benefits of many plant-based foods.

Published in Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry1, this new technology significantly improves upon previously developed methods to identify and isolate cocoa flavanols. This new method is safer, more environmentally friendly, more economical and more robust than previously described methods. The new technology was developed by scientists in the Analytical and Applied Sciences Group at Mars, Incorporated. The current method to evaluate the cocoa flavanol content of plant-based foods was also developed by Mars in 1999.

In the past, scientists have often settled for measures of polyphenol content or antioxidant capacity that are non-specific and do not accurately analyze for compounds like cocoa flavanols.

"Scientists should stop estimating cocoa flavanol content using non-specific antioxidant capacity methodologies that can be misleading to clinical researchers and health professionals," according to co-author Harold H. Schmitz, chief science officer at Mars, Incorporated. "Mars is especially pleased to contribute this leap forward in analytical technology because it will help scientists better understand the potential cardiovascular health benefits of cocoa flavanols, as well as flavanols in other plant foods. Better tools like this will lead to better information which in turn will lead to better recommendations for public health."

Mars, Incorporated scientists are continuing their work to develop improved methods for the determination of cocoa flavanols and other naturally occurring components of plant-based foods that may improve public health.

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Mars, Incorporated, headquartered in McLean, Virginia, is a privately-held company with a strong commitment to science-based research. With well over 15 years of research into the health benefits of cocoa flavanols, and decades of research invested into improving the cocoa plant and farming techniques, Mars, Incorporated has become the global leader in cocoa science.

1 Kelm MA, Johnson JC, Robbins RJ, Hammerstone JF, Schmitz HH. High-performance liquid chromatography separation and purification of cacao (theobroma cacao l.) procyanidins according to degree of polymerization using a diol stationary phase. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2006;54:1571-1576.

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